Process for manufacturing hats.



H. COHN.

PROCESS FOR MANUFACTURING HATS.

APPLICAHON FILED JUNE 2&1917.

1,243,487 Patented (m. 16, 1917.

INVEIVTOR 1%2777g2 [hz mo /{9 A TTOR/VEYS HERMAN CQHN, 0E NEW YORK, N. Y.

PROCESS FOR MANUFACTURING EATS.

ilfidSAldT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented @ot. 116, t9i?.

Application filed June 25, 1917. Serial No. 176,806.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that T, HERMAN (JOHN, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes for Manufacturing Hats, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to methods for pressing and cutting out hats made of fabric,

such as velvet or the like, in which it is.

customary to first press and shape the brim of the hat from a suitable blank or piece of material and then cut out a space in the center of the hat for attaching the crown thereof, which is made of a separate piece of material. It is customary to leave a flange of about an inch in height around the central opening of the piece'of material, so as to enable the brim of the hat to be fastened. This flange enables the'sewing on of the crown of the hat.

It has heretofore been customary in pressing and shaping the brim of the hat, toprovide two pressing dies, one above the other, which were suitably heated so as to facilitats the pressing of the material. These dies had their adjacent surfaces of the shape of the brim of the hat and the lower die had at or near its center, a depression of about an inch in height, this depression corresponding to the shape of the opening for receiving the crown of the hat. Instead of providing a depression in the lower die, it could also be cut away at this point so as to leave an opening in its surface corresponding to the opening for receiving the crown of the hat. The upper die had, at its bottom, a projection corresponding in shape to'the depression or opening in the lower die.

Tn the operation of this device, two work men would take an unperforated piece of material of surhcientarea to provide for the brim of the hat and they would hold it at the top ofthe lower die. Then the upper die would be caused to descend upon the material held on the lowerdie, by any suitable means, such'as a foot press or the like. The upper die would press'the material on the lower die, thus shaping it, and it'would also force the material above the depression or opening in the lower die, into this de pression or opening. When the upper die was removed, the line where the material had been forced into the depression or opening in the lower die, could be seen by the operator, because the heating and pressing left a mark at that point.

After this was done, the operator would cut away the center of the pressed piece of material, leaving a flange of about an inch to receive the crown of the hat which was then sewed on.

This method has led to awaste of material in that the upper die-would always force the fabric into the opening or depres sion in the lower die, so that instead of using a piece of material of the exact size of the brim of the hat, it was always necessary to allow for at least an inch more all around the brim of the hat. This has been a considerable item of loss in working with expensivevelvets, especially since hundreds of hats are usually made by a single'manufacturer. Tn addition, the opera tionof this device was not always reliable because the men who were feeding the material to the dies had to hold it against the pull that was exerted by the upper die forc-,

ing the material into the opening of the lower die.

ihe object of my invention is to provide a new and improved method of pressing and shaping the brim of the hat, that shall be uniform and reliable, economical of mate rial, and shape and press the hat more effectively.

T will describe one of the machines that may be used for practising my new and improved method, in the following description and drawings in which Figure 1 is afront elevation of the dies used for practising my new and improved method.

Fig. 2 is a viewshowing two of the dies of Fig. 1 pressed together for the first operation;

Fig. 3 is a view of the dies pressed together for the third operation.

These figures illustrate the structure shown in my companion application Serial No. 176,807 of even date, illustrating acomplete machine for carrying out this method, and entitled Machines for pressing and forming hats.

To carry out my new methods, the operators take an unperforated piece of fabric of suit-able size for forming the brim of the hat and place it between the lowerannular die 1% and the upper annular die 15.

The opening of these dies is of a shape corresponding to theopening that must be cut in the blank, for se *ing on the crown of the hat to the brim. These dies 'let'an'd 15 have their adjacent surfaces inclined to the vertical so that their shape, generally speaking is frusto-conicall Their adj'acent-- surfaces have substantially the same contour," there-beingust enough difference of taper between them to tightly draw and uniformly stretch a piece of fabric that is pressed be tween them.

Above the openingin the annular upper die 15, is a supplemental die QQ,'-Wl1iCl1 is adjusted to fit into the opening of the upper annular die 15. Thisuppermost supplemen tal die carries on its underside four blades 23, which arearrangedat right angles to each other and radiate from the centel-of the die 22. These blades. or knives 23 have a tapering shape asis clearfrom- Figs. 1 and 2, the Widestportion of these knives being at their outer ends. These lmives 23 do not extend to the edge of the die as can be seen from the drawings.

After the piece of unperforated material is held against the top of the lower die 1%, the upper die 15 is then caused to descend by any suitable means and it clamps the piece of cloth, such as velvet or the llliG, against the lower die 1%. By reason ofthe slight difference in contour of the adjacent surfaces of the dies 1% and 15 Whichhas been before mentioned, the fabric is tightly and uniformly stretched in all directions from the center of the die i h-so that its surface is not wrinkled and is tightly eX-' l4c and 15.

Thisoperation noes not cause any pressing of that portion of the blank not intended for the brim.

lVhile the material is thus uniformly stretched over the die 1i- :and is tightly clamped by the'die 15, the supplemental-die 22 is caused to descend. The outmost points of the blades penetrate the fabric at a suitable distance from theopening in the u mer die 15 and then 'raduall 'cutthe fabric inwardly toward t-hecenter until four slits at rightangles to each other; have been cut in that portion of the fabric which has been stretched over the opening of the die 14:.

Thenthe supplemental d1e22 enters the opening in thelower die let, and forms a "cronur'of the hat is to be sewed.

flange of any desired heightfto which the reason oftheheat, this flange is marked upon the fabric so that it is visible to the Workers.

lVhen the blankhas thus been cut and shaped, the die 22 and then the die 15, are withdrawn from the die 1% and the operator cuts off the superfluous portions of the four tongues which have been formed by the cutting of the fourslits in the fabric by the fo'ur'blades leaving a flange to. Which the crown of the hat can i be sewed.

By this new and llllPlOYQCl method,-'the Workings of the dies are visible. to the OPT erators atall times, theflangeis not formed until thefabric has been tightly. stretched and clamped in a unifornr-mamier "in all directions, the formingof the brim is accomplished under tensiorn and marked economy of mater-ialand superiority of operation are secured.

While I have described one mechanism for carrying out my method, itis clear thatnu merous other mechanisms might lbedevised therefor, that theevarious parts inight be made to more automatically, inrentionis not to beliinited to thev details before set forth either of -1nechanisrn or manipulation but that numerous changes and modifications could be made Without departing from the spirit- 0f my invention, as defined in the following claims; 1

*LA method of forming hats-Which consists in stretching- ,an unperforated' blanlr of material, heating and pressing that portion of said blanlcintended for the brim of the hat, perforating the central unpressed por-- tion of sa1dblank--While it is maintained in itsstretched condition, and then releasing said blankffroin the aforesaid stretching,

heat; and pressure.

2. A method of forming hats Which consists: in heating and pressing that portion of said blankintended for thebriin of the hat to the shape of said brim, Without exerting any pressure against the central por-tion: of. said blankwhich is not intended; for said brim, and perforating .the central. HIIPZ'QSSEd" portion of said blank after the'said-press ing andheating have been performed:

3. Amethod-of forming hats Which consists in stretching :anunperforated blank; of

material, heating and pressing: that portion of said blank intended forthe-brim --of the hat perforating the central Y unpressed porb1011 of said blank whileitiis maintained in its stretched condlticn, :then" -releasing said blank from the-aforesaid heat-and pressureand-forming the flange portion for the crown of -said hat 'from the part of theblank soi uti 7 a. In the art ofmaking andpressinghats those steps -inwthe art which consist vin stretching a blank of inaterial having the and that my same area as the brim portion of said hat plus that of the central opening in said brim intended for the insertion of the crown of the hat, pressing only that portion of said blank intended for said brim portion into the desired shape While said blank is maintained in a stretched condition, and perforating the impressed portion of said blank.

5. A method of forming hats which consists in stretching an unperforated blank of material, clamping that portion of said blank intended for the brim of the hat, and cutting the unclamped portion of said blank to enable the formation of a flange for receiving the crown of said hat, said un- 15 clamped portion of said blank being first perforated adjacent the clamped portion thereof.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

HERMAN COHN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

